Smoot Lays the Smack Down (Cowboys at Redskins)

He was in many "pin his ears back" situations on 3rd down. I don't want to be too critical of one of our best players, but it really seems his game hasn't progressed this year. He's got to learn some moves, some technique w/his hands to get free. Last year he was at least held like mad, I don't really see that much this year at all. He's not making any team afraid of him, no double or many chips on him even.

On one hand, our OLB combo seems set for years, on the other, they are not dominant by any means & don't get around the edge quick enough to make QBs hurry. Most of our sacks yesterday & this year were coverage sacks, we should've had more hurries yesterday.

There were some third downs for sure where he should have been able to get in at the QB more often. I was referring (that's a strangely difficult word to spell) more to the entire year where we have been playing from behind and trying to explain his performance. I just don't want fans to start getting down on him too much, he does need to show some more progression but if people want to complain about someone there are certainly more deserving places to look on this team in my opinion.

Injuries have blown up our OL, that's why we can't run.

I'll agree with you and that has been my arguement in regards to any QB finding success right now no matter who we brought in. But I'm still amazed at that fact the zone/cut blocking does not look like what Denver had and if I'm not mistaken someone else even made a point that the team is not really cut blocking much.

I'm just wondering if some of why we are not seeing the typical MS running game is because the team is not using the typical blocking scheme MS had in Denver?

There were some third downs for sure where he should have been able to get in at the QB more often. I was referring (that's a strangely difficult word to spell) more to the entire year where we have been playing from behind and trying to explain his performance. I just don't want fans to start getting down on him too much, he does need to show some more progression but if people want to complain about someone there are certainly more deserving places to look on this team in my opinion.

understood, he's still a good OLB & seems to care about the team. I think he's become stagnant for whatever reason & the reaction on the WP here today shows that he's behind our expectations. I thought he would be nearly unstoppable this year 1 on 1.

I think our running game was bad for a lot of reasons, injuries, no power running plays, and ineffective plays and play calling.

And like Freddy G said you can just tell when we are going to run the ball. I think this is true with most teams, but most teams rely on the run to set up the pass and we do the opposite..... except we just run sometimes, we dont set it up. The only thing that surprises me and catches me offguard is when we go deep, but even though it catches people off guard it can still piss us off. Like when its 3 & 1 and we go deep.

I wouldnt say the play calling and coaching was good this game but it was a lot better then what weve seen in the past. It almost felt like we were doing things offensively to take advantage of the some of the cowboys weaknesses... like there was a real game plan. The pace of the game was the best in what weve seen in a long long time.

The final timeout we called at the of the first half with the clock stopped with about 20 seconds left that took away our ability to run or throw inside because Kyle was arguing with a ref and we couldnt line up in time was what pissed me off the most. But we converted and Gaffney got a touchdown from Rex the following play. Still, that was more luck and we are very lucky we wernt forced to take a field goal. Overall the pace of the game from our offense often gave the cowboys defense trouble was probably the best weve seen all year. I love fast passed offenses.

Not going for 2….. im glad we didn’t. I know most think we should have gone for it, and i was thinking we were going to do it at the time, but in hindsight i think it was a good call.

OT - I think we ran right w Torrian right before Gano missed what would have been the winning kick. We handnt been able to run right all day and we ended up losing about 3 yards.

Calling the timeout. I get icing the kicker, I don’t know if it works, but I get it. But this was just dumb. Sure Romo got up and called a timeout that would have cost them 5 yards, but Shanahan didn’t know that was going to happen. But it was obvious the cowboys were rushed and were caught off guard with Garrett’s decision to kick on 3rd down. You only try and ice the kicker when things are going smoothly not when its chaotic. Mike Shanahan as a game manager is almost as bad as Gibbs 2.0.

Gano – I like him but hes just so off and on. But lets face it, he was forced to kick a 49er and 52er, those arnt easy makes and each time he came out to kick he was semi-rushed.

Orapko - im holding off on criticism because i think a lot of it is related to our bad secondary, and what looks like might be assigments he has to contain the QB from scrambling.

Hall – I don’t know if hes being forced to do things he cant physically do or what, but you just always know hes gonna make big mistakes at the most crucial times. I felt really good about stopping the cowboys on the 3rd and 10 in OT, but then it became 3rd and 15. Once that happened and our corners dropped back in an effort to prevent the cowboys from gaining more than 15 I knew we were screwed. Hall slipped and Bryant was wide open.

Torian – the dude just cannot catch at all, maybe that’s why we can always tell when we are going to run.

The refing – there were some very bad holding calls against us and a very questionable offensive pass interference call. Also the defensive hold (I think by Newman) on Anthony Armstrong in the 4th quarter was in my opinion a pass interference. Armstrong would have been in position to make the catch if not held and Newman was clearly going to be beat him. We ending up scoring on the drive with the really nice fade to Stallworth, but I was pretty pissed about the call. The announcers thought it was a great veteran move by the cowboys corner, which it was if just a hold, but I don’t think it was.

The announcers – I like Siragusa, and Kenny Albert is okay, but what was up with Daryl Johnston. The guy made a lot of Sam Huff style mistakes and said things that didn’t make sense or wernt true. I cant tell you how happy I was when Albert called him out on teasing Siragusa in the cliché offensive lineman sticking up for holding penalties way after Siragusa was defending the Redskins after being held for a hold. The dude was bad and off the whole game, im wondering if he had a big night out in DC Saturday night?

Me – I made that cowboys don’t cry video thing and then we lose (I was expecting that) but then the Eagles upset the Giants. Cowboys and Giants have the same record and are top of the nfc east….... my bad.

Brian Orakpo. When he wasn't being outright stuffed by Doug Free, he was allowing Tony Romo to scramble to the left, and then we get burned by sandlot football with Romo and friends.

Gano - **** you. My Suisham sense is tingling. Cut his ass. Cut him now. Choking against the Dallas Cowboys is a crime. A ****ING CRIME. Real Redskins do not choke against the Dallas Cowboys.

Calm down a moment here...

According to you, there were no "real Redskins" in the game where Clint Longley had his 15 minutes of fame in the NFL. Remember, the other guys are getting paid too.

The real disturbing thing about Gano is that he has missed more field goals than any other kicker in the NFL so far this year. THAT is bad. Missing two 50-yard tries on a field that is not in good condition is not a felony.

I wasn't aware there were any. Time to bring in some kickers.

I'm a Gano supporter, yeah I'm pissed he missed 2 field goals. You are not going to find anyone better, good luck.

I think a smackdown is in order for the Kyle Shanahan bashers because they think he should call more running plays. Of the 24 runs yesterday, 10 went for negative yardage. Just go back and look at the game again if you're not convinced. You want them to run the ball more, but they just can't. It's that simple, and yesterday proved it.

Very true...

Truthfully, it wasn't Gano who lost the game for the Redskins. It was the defense. The defense allowed Tony Romo to scorch them repeatedly. #9 is a very good QB, but there's no reason why this defense couldn't contain the Cowboys receivers. How do you let Jason Witten, arguably the best TE in the NFL, to get that wide open and outrun your defense for a 59 TD?

Yes, Gano definitely should have made that 49 yard FG. 49 yards out is within the range of every place kicker in the NFL. But it was the defense who couldn't defend after the offense did its part against Dallas.

I think the biggest loser yeterday was DeAngelo Hall.

He was the defender on Bryant's TD catch in the first quarter. He was beaten so badly that Atogwe was actually the closest defender.

He could not run down Jason Witten on that 60-yard TD play.

He was stone-cold punked by DeMarco Murray on a running play that the Skins needed to stuff to stall a Cowboys' drive. Murray hit him and carried him about 5 yards until help arrived.

He gave up the catch to Bryant that set up the field goal that ended the game.

Even if he had played perfectly for the rest of the game - - and he did not - - he was the defender who made a difference on the plays that decided the game. Problem is that he made a difference in the wrong direction.

Oh well, he can take solace in the fact that he has that $25M guarantee for his contract...

Brian Orakpo. When he wasn't being outright stuffed by Doug Free, he was allowing Tony Romo to scramble to the left, and then we get burned by sandlot football with Romo and friends.

Then his film study should be called into question. Romo spins out of pressure to his left at least 3 times per game to extend the play. He has done it with success over the past month.

If film study had been better, maybe that gets mitigated.